Eight Missouri children were killed in accidental shootings in the 2½ years leading up to July, and the top St. Louis prosecutor thinks a new state gun law could result in even more young lives lost.

The Associated Press and the USA TODAY Network analyzed the circumstances surrounding every accidental shooting death and injury involving children ages 17 and younger in the U.S. from Jan. 1, 2014, through June 30 of this year. The more than 1,000 cases they found involved incidents in which children unintentionally shot themselves or other children, or were accidentally shot by adults.

Five of the Missouri victims were age 3 or younger. The others were teenagers.

St. Louis Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyce, who owns a gun, says she's afraid a new Missouri law that allows people to carry concealed weapons without training or a permit could result in more accidental shootings.